Barcelona striker Lionel Messi hinted that he wants to return to his native Rosario to see out his career when his son, Thiago, who was born last November, is
ready to begin school. Rosario is home to Newell’s Old Boys, Messi’s hometown club, which he left at age 13 to join Barca’s renowned La Masia youth academy.

“I would
like to return to live in Rosario,” the four-time Ballon d’Or winner said in an interview with Argentine TV channel TyC Sports. “I do not know what will happen. My son will surely
begin school there, then I do not know what will happen. I love it there. I have been a long time in Barcelona, and my home is here, but I always want to return home.”

During the
interview, Messi also commented on his relationship with the Argentine national team, which he admitted has not always been easy. “So many bad things, ugly things, happened with the national
team that I heard everything there is to hear. Even from people who today speak well,” he said. “I knew I was not performing well for Argentina, but I was not the only one. The team were
not doing well and some people wanted me to go out and win games on my own. Things were said that had nothing to do with playing well or badly, things outside soccer. I cried more than once, in 2006
and 2010, when we did not achieve our goals [at those World Cups]."

Messi on Sunday scored two more goals in Barca’s 3-1 win at home to Rayo Vallecano, extending his personal scoring
run to 18 consecutive La Liga games, which is an ongoing record. Barca’s lead at the top is still 13 points.